How Rural Digitization Promote Coordinated Urban–Rural Development: Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment in China
Rural digitalization not only constitutes the strategic orientation of rural revitalization but also serves as a potent means for augmenting farmers’ income. This study regards the implementation of China’s digital village pilot policy as a quasi-natural experiment. Based on the panel data of Chines...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Agriculture |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/12/2323 |
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| author | Zhongchao Wang Xinchen Liu Yaping Qin Yang Zhang |
| author_facet | Zhongchao Wang Xinchen Liu Yaping Qin Yang Zhang |
| author_sort | Zhongchao Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Rural digitalization not only constitutes the strategic orientation of rural revitalization but also serves as a potent means for augmenting farmers’ income. This study regards the implementation of China’s digital village pilot policy as a quasi-natural experiment. Based on the panel data of Chinese counties spanning from 2017 to 2022, it employs a multi-period difference-in-differences model to investigate the influence of rural digitalization on the coordinated development of urban and rural areas from the perspective of the income gap. The findings indicate that the policy has significantly reduced the urban–rural income gap. Mechanism analysis reveals that this reduction is achieved through enhancing county innovation capacity, accelerating agricultural digitization, promoting advanced industrial structure, and expanding non-farm employment. Heterogeneity analyses reveal that the policy has a greater impact in regions with less robust digital infrastructure, higher levels of community service, and stronger financial development. Consequently, it is indispensable to enhance the digital literacy of farmers, accelerate the digitalization of agriculture and the upgrading of industrial institutions, promote the balanced development of digital villages in various regions, and fully exert the guiding and facilitating role of community service levels. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b2ec09a243964436b7d332d1dd4c217c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj-art-b2ec09a243964436b7d332d1dd4c217c2025-08-20T02:53:39ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722024-12-011412232310.3390/agriculture14122323How Rural Digitization Promote Coordinated Urban–Rural Development: Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment in ChinaZhongchao Wang0Xinchen Liu1Yaping Qin2Yang Zhang3College of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, ChinaCollege of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, ChinaCollege of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, ChinaCollege of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, ChinaRural digitalization not only constitutes the strategic orientation of rural revitalization but also serves as a potent means for augmenting farmers’ income. This study regards the implementation of China’s digital village pilot policy as a quasi-natural experiment. Based on the panel data of Chinese counties spanning from 2017 to 2022, it employs a multi-period difference-in-differences model to investigate the influence of rural digitalization on the coordinated development of urban and rural areas from the perspective of the income gap. The findings indicate that the policy has significantly reduced the urban–rural income gap. Mechanism analysis reveals that this reduction is achieved through enhancing county innovation capacity, accelerating agricultural digitization, promoting advanced industrial structure, and expanding non-farm employment. Heterogeneity analyses reveal that the policy has a greater impact in regions with less robust digital infrastructure, higher levels of community service, and stronger financial development. Consequently, it is indispensable to enhance the digital literacy of farmers, accelerate the digitalization of agriculture and the upgrading of industrial institutions, promote the balanced development of digital villages in various regions, and fully exert the guiding and facilitating role of community service levels.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/12/2323digital villagerural digitizationurban–rural income gapcoordinated urban–rural development |
| spellingShingle | Zhongchao Wang Xinchen Liu Yaping Qin Yang Zhang How Rural Digitization Promote Coordinated Urban–Rural Development: Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment in China Agriculture digital village rural digitization urban–rural income gap coordinated urban–rural development |
| title | How Rural Digitization Promote Coordinated Urban–Rural Development: Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment in China |
| title_full | How Rural Digitization Promote Coordinated Urban–Rural Development: Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment in China |
| title_fullStr | How Rural Digitization Promote Coordinated Urban–Rural Development: Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | How Rural Digitization Promote Coordinated Urban–Rural Development: Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment in China |
| title_short | How Rural Digitization Promote Coordinated Urban–Rural Development: Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment in China |
| title_sort | how rural digitization promote coordinated urban rural development evidence from a quasi natural experiment in china |
| topic | digital village rural digitization urban–rural income gap coordinated urban–rural development |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/12/2323 |
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